Valve mechanism for internal-combustion engines.



T. 1. FAY.

VALVE MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1913.

1,157,374. Patented Oct. 19, 191 5.

x E I I $1 1 flue snags IMLLL THOMAS J. FAY, or NEW YORK, 1v. Y.

VALVE MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

Application filed July 5, 1913. Serial N 0. 777,394.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. FAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, in the borough of Brooklyn and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve Mechanism for Internal Combustion Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and resides in an improved form of valve mechanism for controlling the intake or exhaust port of the working cylinder.

One of. the objects of my invention is to provide a valve of the slide-valve type for controlling either the supply or exhaust port, in combination with a movable means for regulating the area of these ports, where by the same may be partially or completely closed to cause a throttling or a dynamic braking action.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reciprocating valve sleeve which is so constructed that the packing-rings may be positioned on the fixed portions of the valve mechanism and yet be held in place by the yalve sleeve during the complete cyclic operation of the engine.

WVith these and other objects in view, my invention consists of the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings in which like parts are referred to by like reference characters, F igure 1 is a semi-diagrammatic view showing the connections for operating the valve mechanism, the working cylinder and valve mechanism being shown in section. Fig. 2

is a vertical section through one of the valve mechanisms, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the valve sleeve.

The improved form of valve mechanism which constitutes the subject-matter of the present invention is preferably adapted for controlling the exhaust or inlet ports of a multi-cylinder engine, of the four-cycle type, although it is not the intention to limit the invention. to this specific form but for the purpose of illustration one of the cylinders of a multi-cylinder engine has been-shown in section. A cylinder 1 of a suitable bore is fitted with a piston 2 having a connecting rod 3 which operates a crank-shaft 4. A

water-jacket 5 surrounds the upper end of the cylinder through which passes the sparkplug 5. The cylinder is provided with the usual inlet and outlet ports, one of which is shown at 6. Arranged adjacent this port is the valve casing 7 which is preferably integral with the water-jacket 5 although this construction is not essential and the casing may-be separately formed and fastened to the cylinder in any desired manner. As shown, the casing consists of a hollow cylinder open at both ends surrounded by a water-jacket 8 which is preferably integral with the main water-jacket 5. The casing 7 is provided with an annular groove or duct 9 cut in the inner periphery of-the casing intermediate its length, which groove communicates with the port 6. A circular head 10 closes the upper end of the valve casing and has a polygonal recess 11 therein for the reception of a socket-wrench; the interior of the valve casing and the periphery of the head being threaded whereby the head may be firmly screwed into place. The side wall of the valve casing 7 is provided with an orifice 13 connected to a pipe 14 through,

which the combustible mixture passes into the valve casing or the exhaust gases escape therefrom, depending upon whether the valve mechanismis connected with the inlet or exhaust port of the working cylinder.

The casing is provided with an annular shoulder 15, upon which rests a flange 16 of a hollow stationary sleeve 17 which forms a conduit connecting the orifice 13 and the groove 9. The flange 16 is provided with a packing-ring 18 resting on the shoulder 15. A hollow presser block 19 is interposed between. the bottom of the head 10 and the upper surface of the flange 16, which presses the packing-ring 18 against the shoulder 15, providing a gas-tight joint. This presser block is reinforced by a curved rib 20 which serves to direct the fluid from and to the orifice 13, the block being provided with an opening 21 affording communication to the orifice 13. The sleeve 17 is spaced from the inner periphery of the casing 7 providing nally-extending ribs 24. The sleeve 17 is provided with a packing-ring 25 adjacent its lower end which prevents leakage of the gas between the outer periphery of the sleeve 17 and the inner periphery of the slide-valve sleeve 22. The lower end of the valve sleeve 22 is also provided with a packing-ring 26 hearing against the casing, the sleeve being thickened at this point in order to, provide the necessary thickness of metal to receive this packing-ring, and also, to provide a sleeve of adequate strength to receive reciprocating motion through a connecting-rod 27, which is connected to a secondary shaft 28. Gear-s29 and 30 connect the main shaft 4 and the secondary shaft 28, reciprocating the valve sleeve 22 once for every two revolutions of the main crank-shaft.

The length .of the stroke of the slide-valve 22, which is shown in its uppermost position in Fig. 2, is sufiicient to bring the lower ends of the ports 23 substantially flush with the lower edge of the groove 9 when thevalve is in its lower or port-uncovering position, so that open communication is established between the orifice 13 and the port 6 of the WOlfklng cylinder through the stationary sleeve 17 during the cyclic operation of the engine when the slide-valve 22 is in its port-uncovering position. The ribs 24 act as guidesand prevent the packing ring 25 from snapping out of place. Heretofore it has been deemed necessary in order to prevent the packing-rings from snapping out of place, to place them on the slide-valve sleeve, but such a construction has been found to be disadvantageous, due to the fact that it necessitates the making of the slidevalve sleeve of greater thickness and therefore increasing the space between the upper end of the sleeve and the stationary sleeve, so that uponthe upward movement of the slide-valve sleeve, suflicient gas will be compressed in this space to produce a pumping action which it is my purpose to substantially eliminate. By castellating the upper end of the valve sleeve to form ribs to keep the packing-ring 25 in place, it is merely necessary to make this slide-valve sleeve of just sufiicient thickness to withstand the force of the explosion. However, a vent 31 may be provided in the sleeve 17 for permitting the escape of the trapped gas.

In order to direct the How of combustible mixture or exploded gases through the orifice 13, it is necessary to close the lower end of the valve sleeve 22 which is accomplished by means of a hollow piston 32. The top of the piston is formed with a hemispherical protuberance 34 of just sufficient diameter to pass within the lower end of the hollow sleeve 17 when the piston is moved upwardly, the lower end of the sleeve 17 providing a seat 33 on which the piston is adapted to seat. The protuberance 3 1 also acts as a guide to deflect the gases passing Attached to the lower end of the piston 32 is a connecting-rod 35, which is connected by any well known form of linkage 36 to a lever 37, which may be located on the steering-post of an automobile, or in any other place, so as to be within the control of the operator of the engine, the lever 37 being locked in any desired position by the springlatch and notched sector 38.

The operation of the valve mechanism is obvious from the construction described, but in general, assuming the valve mechanism is connected to the inlet port of the engine, the combustible mixture passes through the orifice 13, through the hollow sleeve 17, until opposite the groove 9, when further passage of the gas downwardly is prevented by the piston 32. The slide-valve 22, which is shown in approximately one extreme position of its stroke in Fig. 2 is then reciprocated to bring the port openings 23 opposite the groove 9 at every second revolution of the crank-shaft 4, at which time the gas enters through the inlet port 6 into the chamber of the working cylinder 1, after which the sleeve is moved to its port-closing position before the explosion of the combustible mixture takes place. The operation of the valve mechanism connected to the exhaust port of the cylinder is similar.

When a dynamic braking action is desired, as, for example, when the engine is mounted in an automobile and the automobile is runcan not escape from the cylinder 1 or to act against the suction produced by throttling the inlet port. In either instance the operation of the motor will be retarded to a more or lessdegree, depending upon the amount which the passage through the port 6 is restricted. If desired, the piston 32 may be moved against the seat 33, substantially closing the passage through the port 6, which will effectually stop the motor.

It is evident that the piston 32 has two functions, first, it efi'ectually prevents the.

escape of gas through the lower end of the valve sleeve; and, secondly, it provides means operable at will for either partially or completely throttling the port 6 to give the desired dynamic braking action.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A valve mechanism for an internal combustion engine comprising a hollow casing having a port therein, a fixed sleeve spaced from said casing, a reciprocating valve sleeve having its inner and outer surfaces in sliding contact with the outer wall of said fixed sleeve and the inner wall ofsaid casing, respectively, and a packing ring on said stationary sleeve, said valve sleeve being castellated at one end to form ports, and said packing ring bearing continuously against said valve sleeve during the reciprocation of the latter.

2. A valve mechanism for an internal combustion engine comprising a hollow casing having ports for the passage of a fluid, a tubular member in said casing communicating at opposite ends with said ports, said member being spaced from the inner wall of said casing, a reciprocating valve sleeve for controlling one of said ports in sliding contact with the inner wall of said casing and the outer wall of said member respectively, said valve sleeve being castellated at one end and a packing ring on said member bearing continuously against said valve sleeve during its reciprocation.

3. A valve mechanism for an internal combustion engine comprising a hollow casing having a port therein, a stationary sleeve within said casing spaced from the inner wall thereof, a packing ring in the outer surface of said sleeve, and a hollow reciprocating slide valve in sliding contact with the inner wall of said casing and the outer surface of said sleeve, said valve being castellated at one end to provide ribs and ports, and said packing ring bearing against said ribs when the valve is in port-opening position.

' 4:. In an internal combustion engine the combination with a working cylinder having a port and a piston therein, of a valve mechanism for controlling the passage ofa fluid through said port, said mechanism comprising a reciprocating hollow slide valve having apertures therein communicating with said port in one position thereof, a piston movable within said slide valve and cooperating with said port for restrict ing the passage through said port irrespective of the position of theslide valve and means operable at will for moving said piston.

5. The combination with a working cylinder of an internal combustion engine having a port and a piston therein, of a valve mechanism for controlling the passage of a fluid through said port comprising a hollow casing having a groove connected with said port in said cylinder, a reciprocating tubular sleeve provided with apertures adapted to register with said groove in one position of the sleeve, said valve casing having an orifice communicating with one end of said sleeve, a piston closing the other end of said sleeve and movable within the same and cooperating with said groove in said casing for throttling the passage of a fluid through said port.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder having a port, a hollow reciprocating slide valve adapted to open and close said port in the normal operation of the engine, and means for closing one endof said valve and for throttling said port.

7. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder having. a port, a hollow reciprocating slide valve adapted to open and close said port in the normal op.- eration of the engine, a movable abutment for closing one end of said valve, said abutment being movable at will to throttle said port.

In wltness whereof, I subscribe my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. FAY.

Witnesses:

lVALno M. CHAPIN, JULE ZELENKO. 

